Friday, March 2, 2018

The Violet Kind are Katya Mansell, Liam Duffy, and Kyle Hamilton. The Glasgow-based trio are honing their pop punk with passion and skill. The world will know soon when EP OXTR is released, but you can sample their art with lead single "Speakeasy". The song addresses issues of consent and the insidious damage of acts that occur unseen, behind walls and doors.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Kasbo is Gothenburg, Sweden's Carl Garsbo, a prolific and inspired producer. His debut LP, Places We Don't Know, is due on March 23 by Foreign Family Collective and Counter Records, but you can get a taste now via "Your Tempo". Impossibly bright and optimistic, and with an extra dose of hooks, just one play will make your day much better. We recommend repeated application until any trace of negative feelings have completely disappeared.

I've been in love with Tracyanne Campbell's voice since I first heard it on Underachievers Please Try Harder, the 2003 LP by Glasgow's Camera Obscura. We recently learned that Campbell has teamed up with Bristol's Danny Coughlan (aka Crybaby) to form Tracyanne & Danny. To alert us to the delights this union will produce, they have shared "Home & Dry", the lead track from their upcoming LP. This is indie pop as it was meant to be.

The self-titled album will be released in digital, CD, and vinyl formats on May 25 via Merge Records.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Her, the new album by Melbourne's Totally Mild, is a basket of wonderfulness. We get frontwoman and songwriter Elizabeth Mitchell's bright and elegant pop vocals, intimate lyrics with the right balance of clear-eyed introspection, sorrowful reflection, and saucy attitude. Guitarist Zach Schneider is a master in creating delightful soundscapes without seeking to steal the show. Lehmann Smith is an ace with the bass and drummer Ashley Bundang is terrific here and in every project she graces (which henceforth, will not include Totally Mild as she will focus on her other projects and Dylan Young will take over with this band). The songs on Her vary from gentle pop to highly dynamic ventures, but all are characterized by a solid melodic core and an adventurous approach to structure. By virtue of the sex and thematic focus of the songwriters, the stories are told from a woman's perspective, but our male-dominated staff wholeheartedly embraced this album. And for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the bright pop tones are just the medicine we need to get through the end of winter.

A middle of the night pick up of relatives traveling back from vacation, sitting in the cell phone lot waiting for the text saying they are at the pick up point, and the perfect midnight song hits my ears - "Off and On" by Orlando, Florida's Sales. This song is sweet, a little bittersweet, and has just the right balance of bass and guitar to paint the picture. The band is comprised of Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih, and they have a lot more music available at their Bandcamp site (linked below). Happy hunting!

Monday, February 26, 2018

Here at WYMA we applaud audacity coupled with inspiration and execution. In fact, one could say that is our reason for existing (well, that and the generous beer budget). So we are happy to give some press to Stef Animal's Top Gear. Kiwi Stef's concept is to take various pieces of disused, ignored or obsolete equipment (and for one composition, an electric duck call) and use it in crafting a piece in a single session. At times cinematic, at times ambient, and often playful, the album is comprised of 15 lo fi electronic tracks that will surprise and delight. And those old enough to recall the days of early electronic devices made by Casio and Commodore will get the extra benefit of a nostalgia hit. For the benefit of you tech geeks, Stef has thoughtfully included the equipment used with each song title on Bandcamp. Enjoy a unique sonic adventure!

Top Gear is out now in CD and digital formats via Fishrider Records. See the Bandcamp link below.

credits

The dapper gents in the above photograph are Guido Giorgi, Piero Pecchi, and Diego Dal Bon, who collectively refer to themselves as Beat Degeneration. In 2016 the Italian trio released a fine album of slacker pop and power pop titled Dream Machine. Their follow up, Searching for Some Heaven, comes this April 20 via Seattle's always excellent Jigsaw Records. Our first hint of the sound comes via "Feet In The Sand". We think this album will be one of the joys of 2018. Stream "Feet In The Sand" below, and enjoy a few tracks from the previous album (which is available for 'name your price' on Bandcamp.

"Nations", "Tom", and "Sweet Louise", three tracks from their 2016 album Dream Machine, which is available on Bandcamp for 'name your price'.